Papantla Style Mole Sauce With Chicken Food

CLASSIC MOLE POBLANO SAUCE WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds, almonds, tortilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander. Puree small amounts of this mixture in a blender until smooth. (I added a small of amount of water or rum each time to make it smooth.).
• Melt the shortening in a skillet and sauté the puree for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth and chocolate and cook over a very low heat for 45 minutes. The sauce should be very thick. The remaining sesame seeds are used as a garnish.
• Season chicken breasts to taste and grill over low heat for about 25 minutes or until desired doneness. Ladle mole sauce over each breast and scatter the tops with warm corn kernels. Garnish with cilantro leaves, thin slices of tomatillo.

PAPANTLA-STYLE MOLE SAUCE WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Cook all the chicken pieces in the chicken broth in a large pot until cooked through and tender. Cook the breasts 20 minutes then remove them to a bowl and cover, to prevent overcooking. Remove the thighs about 10 minutes later (or 30 minutes total), and put them in the bowl with the chicken breasts. Keep the broth warm over low heat until added to the sauce. 2. In a medium skillet, toast the anchos until aromatic and slightly blistered. Do not burn. Put the anchos in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Soak about 20 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 325°. In the same skillet used for toasting the anchos, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, tortillas, bread, plantain, cloves, and canela. Cook, stirring, frequently, until the tomatoes soften and the skins blister and char lightly. 4. Transfer the skillet ingredients to a blender. Add 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, the soaked anchos, and the chipotles. Blend until very smooth. Transfer the blended sauce to a large heavy ovenproof pan or casserole dish. 5. Cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to a boil, about 3 minutes. Add the piloncillo and 1 cup of the reserved broth. Cook, stirring, over low heat, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. The sauce should have the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, add additional hot broth. Add salt. Add the cooked pieces of chicken to the pan, and transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, and the sauce is simmering, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CHICKEN IN MOLE, PUEBLA STYLE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, parboil the chicken in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain, reserving cooking broth, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish.
• Prepare the Mole Poblano. Clean the chiles by removing stems, veins, and seeds; reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Fry the chiles until crisp, about 10 to 15 seconds, turning once; make sure they do not burn. Drain on paper towels. Put the chiles in a nonreactive bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. Puree the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth paste. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides and blend several times to obtain a smooth paste. In a heavy Dutch oven heat an additional 1/2 cup oil over medium heat and add the chile puree (be careful - it will splatter). Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Puree the tomatillos in a blender. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and toasted seeds. Add the seed mixture and the garlic to the pureed tomatillos and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry each of the following ingredients and then remove with a slotted spoon: the raisins until they puff up; the almonds to a golden brown; the pumpkin seeds until they pop. If necessary, add enough oil to make 4 tablespoons and fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add raisins, almonds, pumpkins seeds, tortillas, and bread to the tomatillo puree and blend, using 1 to 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, as needed, to make a smooth sauce. This may have to be done in batches. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chile puree, the tomatillo puree, and the Mexican chocolate (be careful - it will splatter). Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, cook over low heat for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often enough to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the parboiled chicken and heat through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with white rice.